Those Green Eyes
by Zio Uchiha
Summary: Following the war Sasuke has the Rinnegan and wishes to fulfill Itachi's dream of world peace. Guided by nightmares, he returns to Konoha in order to discover the secrets of his eyes before the world is consumed by a long-forgotten evil.     My replacement to What Itachi Wanted.    Major Pairings: SasuSaku, ShikaIno, NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sasuke's POV

The figure in front of him raced ahead. Though he hated to admit it, he was struggling to keep up. He just felt exhausted, but he had to catch up.

His target was going from tree to tree, sticking to the shadows. Suddenly, the trees broke out into a great clearing. He skidded to a stop, with Chidori crackling in his left hand.

Straight ahead of him, was a dark figure. He activated his Sharingan before sprinting full speed towards his next kill. Just as he stretched his hand to deliver the blow, there was a blinding green light, which obscured even the vision of the Sharingan.

Dazed, it took him a second before he was able to regain his senses. As soon as he did, he sprinted towards his victim determined not to let this person escape him again.

Even as he ran, he could not shake the nagging feeling that he was being led somewhere. It was not necessarily a trap, actually the thought alone made him smirk. Who the hell would be stupid enough to try and lead him, Sasuke Uchiha into a trap?

Even that dope, Naruto had given up on him. Not like it mattered. He preferred it that way. It was annoying having to kick his ass regularly. Working together with him to kill Madara had given the fool false hope, but he had ensured that hope was soon gone.

After what seemed to be an eternity of stalking his target, he finally saw a change in pace until finally the person came to a complete stop. Curiously, the stranger had stopped in front of a familiar gate.

In a flash, Sasuke body flickered in front of the poor fool and drove a Chidori charged hand right through the heart. As the victim died he caught a glimpse of the face. It was his own, except with bright green eyes.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart and began coughing up blood. He hit the ground and felt his eyes closing…

He woke with a jolt, shooting upright. He could feel beads of sweat running down his face. He felt unbelievably hot. He tore off the blanket, and proceeded to notice his whole upper body was drenched in sweat.

He knew immediately that this was going to be another sleepless night. He proceeded to get up and walk over to the bathroom. His eyes functioned better in the dark, so it was easy for him to avoid all the clutter on the floor. What wasn't easy was finding the bathroom.

The reason being, this was not his house. Actually, he wasn't sure whose house this was. Since the war had ended he had been taking residence in abandoned houses waiting to leave only when the original tenants returned or when violence began in the area.

It was ironic, that after such a great war the violence in the world had increased. Spurred mostly by the feudal lords who demanded larger shares of war spoils, the five great nations were already at war again. The biggest problem though was that now the smaller villages were trying to take advantage of the larger ones being weakened as a result of the previous war.

Although, it didn't matter to him personally, it was making permanent residence in a place a downright bitch. This was only his second night in this house, but he knew that come morning he had to leave again. A large battle was to be fought here in a few days, which he would rather avoid.

Finally, he found the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and began to wipe his face down with cool water. Unfortunately, this had become a habit it appeared. Waking up from a nightmare wasn't new to him at all. It had started when he had nightmares of Itachi massacring his clan, and then progressed to nightmares of killing Itachi once he had defeated his brother.

As awful as those were, he would do anything to trade these new ones for them. At least he had known what those dreams meant. These new ones though, were a totally different story. They all involved the same two things, despite the nightmares all being completely different. All of them involved his death, and the same pair of green eyes.

There would always be someone who would appear to him during his sleep, with those damn green eyes. He had no idea why.

He looked into the mirror, and was slightly surprised to see that his Rinnegan was active. He supposed there was no reason to be shocked, considering he had unlocked these eyes during the war.

Thinking back to it though, it was only after acquiring the Rinnegan that he had started to have the nightmares about the green eyes. Was it possible there was a connection?

It was conceivable, he concluded. After all, he still was not positive of all the Rinnegan's secrets. He had tried to learn about it, immediately after the war. It was what led him to the Hidden Rain Village.

He had hoped to learn about Pain and his Rinnegan there, but he was disappointed to find that Pain had not kept any records of himself or his abilities. He knew of one other place that he could find answers, but he had been hoping to avoid that place for as long as he possibly could.

With his hands resting on either side of the sink, he lowered his head in thought, trying to make up his mind. Recently, he had been scouring the world for more information about his new eyes, but he could find nothing. All the roads led to one place, and it was Konoha.

In the main hall of the Naka Shrine, beneath the seventh tatami mat from the far right, was the Uchiha Clan's secret gathering spot. There lay the ancient stone tablet, which contained all the secrets of the Uchiha Clan, the Sharingan, the Tailed Beasts, and perhaps also the Rinnegan.

He looked into the mirror once more, in order to look at his eyes again. It was them that allowed him to beat Madara. Yet, he could not help but think that these eyes were capable of so much more. He had forsaken the role of shinobi for the past few years just to focus on these eyes, and though he had learned things on his own, he knew there was more.

As he lay back down on his bed, he reflected on the last few years of his life. The war had changed him. Of that, there was really no doubt. He had broken free of the Uchiha Clan's curse of revenge and hatred. But that didn't mean going back to Konoha would be easy.

The most painful memories there were the ones that involved his brother. After all, it was Konoha that made Itachi kill their clan. His brother had died in order to maintain peace and yet there was now more fighting than ever before.

And yet, he couldn't help but think that these new eyes were the key to bringing peace to the world. If it meant being able to fulfill his older brother's dream, then he would face the ghosts of his painful past.

He would return to Konoha to study the Uchiha Tablet, in order to bring peace to the world and to make Itachi's sacrifice worth it.

_Well, what do you guys think? I know Sakura wasn't directly in the story or even mentioned, although she was hinted at. This was really just to set the stage for the story because I needed a good reason for Sasuke to return to Konoha. If you have any questions leave them in a review, which reminds me __**Review please! **__Seriously, review because that will definitely make me update faster! Until next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey thanks for everyone, who reviewed the last chapter! (All 2 of you :/) Come on, I know I can get more than 2 reviews no? Anyways, if you have a tumblr, I have a Naruto blog on there that you should all follow! It's .com/ _

_I discuss the latest chapters, episodes, Naruto related topics, and fanfics so it's definitely worth following! And now to the chapter!_

Chapter 2

Sasuke's POV

He had been traveling for a few days now. He should be arriving to Konoha, in a few more hours. The travel had been easy to this point. It had a lot to do with the fact that he was on his own and unhindered by anyone else.

He had always worked better alone, even going back to his academy days. Back then; no one was even near his level, so he treated them all as liabilities.

That all changed when he joined Team 7. Kakashi preached teamwork above all else, and it was something that did end up sticking with him.

However, he felt more in control on his own, so working, as a team was something he opted for only when it was the more efficient option.

In fact, he wasn't quite sure when he last acted in a team with others. It would probably be when he fought along side Naruto against Madara.

He felt butterflies in his stomach, when he thought of his former friend. He wasn't sure what the reaction of the annoying blonde would be. And to be perfectly honest, he wasn't even sure what his own reaction would be.

He would be lying to himself if he said that there weren't any fond memories from his time with Team 7. He hated to admit it, but there was a time when he thought of Kakashi as a role model. He had respected the man and his abilities, but also the lessons he had tried to pass on.

Naruto of course, was a rival in every sense of the word, especially towards the end of his time in Konoha. He could remember how jealous of Naruto's growth he had become. And though, he knew that he was stronger than even Naruto, there was no denying that Naruto was strong.

When Naruto kept attempting to bring him back to Konoha, he thought it had been because Naruto wanted to prove his strength. It was only through multiple encounters and fights with him that he finally realized there was much more to it.

The dope had made a promise to Sakura to bring him back to Konoha and to her. It now brought her to his mind. The pink haired fangirl that he initially despised had grown on him during their time together.

He had always been unsure what to think of her, and so he dealt with it in the one way he knew. He ignored her. He locked her out, so that he did not have something else to lose. He didn't want to risk going through the pain of losing someone again.

He remembered with a slight pang that his apathy towards her almost enabled him to kill her. If Kakashi and Naruto hadn't stopped him, she would be dead right now.

If he was nervous about how Naruto would react to his return, he was simply intrigued with how his green-eyed ex-comrade would react. Had she outgrown the foolish crush she used to have on him? Or was she still the same annoying fangirl he had left behind unconscious on a bench?

He guessed he would just find out, because he was now in front of the gates of Konoha. It took him all of half a second to decide how he was going to enter the village.

He walked straight through the gates.

As he passed the guards, he merely gave them a look, which said 'are you really going to fucking stop me?'

Of course, as soon as they saw that look they broke off top speed to inform the Hokage. He casually strolled through the village towards the Hokage's office.

With as each step he took, he could just feel the presence of more and more eyes on him. Many were shinobis escorting him, in order to ensure he didn't cause any problems. But there were even more civilians trying to get a glimpse of him.

It wasn't like he cared though, he had plenty of practice ignoring this shit going all the way back to the fangirls he hated so much.

He just maintained his focus on one thing, which was getting to the Hokage's office. Unfortunately, if he sped up his pace at all it would cause immediate alarm amongst the 50 or so shinobi tailing him.

He wondered if anyone from Team 7 was tailing him. If they were, Naruto surely wouldn't be amongst them. There was no way, Naruto could have contained himself this long from trying to get to him.

After some time, he finally reached the huge building, which was the abode of the Hokage. He entered the building as if it was a routine that he went through every day. He was as calm as he could be.

Just outside the door to the Hokage's office, was Shikamaru Nara.

"Sasuke." He politely nodded.

Sasuke just nodded in reply before opening the door and walking in.

"Most people have the manners, to knock Uchiha." Tsunade said to him.

She was staring out the window with her back turned to him. When it became apparent that she was an expecting a reply, Sasuke obliged her.

"I thought you were anticipating my arrival, but regardless I apologize for the intrusion."

"What made you think I was expecting _you_?"

"The fact that you've had over 50 shinobi tail me to your office without attacking, and also the fact that Nara didn't tell me not to enter."

Clearly irritated by him being a smartass, Tsunade quickly tried to change the topic.

"Well, what is it that you want? I'm currently in the middle of a war if you haven't heard."

"So I've heard," Suddenly, he activated his Rinnegan. "These eyes are the reason I'm here. I've come to Konoha to learn more about them."

"Why Konoha? And what do you plan on doing with those eyes? I'd be a fool to think that your motives are purely academic."

"Konoha is the symbolic union of the Uchiha and Senju, the two clans descended from the Sage of the 6 Paths. Each clan inherited something from him, so I'm here to find what of his teachings has been passed down. "

"You haven't mentioned for what purpose." Tsunade pointed out.

"Niisan." Sasuke whispered more to himself than to Tsunade.

"Sorry?"

Whatever he had whispered made him lower his guard Tsunade noticed. His facial features softened and for a second he seemed like he might even cry.

"For my brother, Itachi's dream was to end conflict and ensure peace for Konoha. If I am able to control the power of these eyes to their fullest, I hope to be able to end this war and all subsequent ones. That is my only motive."

"And what about rebuilding your clan?"

"It is not a priority."

"But it is a side goal?"

"No. I will reevaluate that if and only if the first goal is accomplished."

"You know you're still a criminal?"

"I killed Madara Uchiha."

"And countless other shinobi."

"Konoha slaughtered my clan."

"Your actions can't be justified by the actions of others. I can't just allow you to parade back into the village and give you free reign to do whatever you please after all you've done."

"A compromise?"

"Name your terms, Uchiha."

"Acquittal of all charges, acknowledgement of Konoha's role in the Uchiha massacre, uninhibited access to anything that may help me fulfill my goal and the reclamation of my life in the village."

"That's a lot to ask for."

"You can have whatever you want from me."

"You will be a Konoha shinobi again and serve us in the war. Also, you will rebuild the Uchiha clan, so that the Sharingan returns to Konoha."

"If the clan is rebuilt, then the strongest Uchiha of one of the next 3 generations must become Hokage. I will not allow the same mistakes to be made again."

"Fine. The Uchiha complex will need some time to be prepared for you. At least 2 days. I don't care whom you stay with. All that I require is that you first head to the hospital for a medical examination. And one last thing, failure to comply with any of our terms will result in open hostility. Understood?"

"It goes both ways." Sasuke replied before walking out towards the hospital.

As he walked out, he couldn't help but feel that this meeting was a genuine success.

He had ensured that Itachi's and the rest of the Uchiha clan's legacy would not be tarnished. Of course, he had also been able to secure access to all the Uchiha and Senju artifacts and documents present in the village.

The knowledge they contained was very powerful. He would not have to struggle and wait days at a time in order to try and weave his way into access for such things, as he had to do in other places.

It had been frustrating to spend months at a time trying to gain access to something, only to find it was utterly useless to him.

He smirked when he thought of how he had tricked Tsunade into believing that rebuilding the clan was not important to him. It was incredibly important. Though he hadn't been lying when he said that it wasn't his primary goal.

The truth was that rebuilding his clan was something floating in his mind for a far off future date. There was just so much that had to be done before he could even consider it.

Before he could keep thinking about it, someone interrupted him.

"Excuse me, sir. Lady Tsunade wanted me to give you these. They're for the hospital. She said that you just have to hand it to the receptionist."

"Hn."

It was a young boy probably around 12. It was obvious that he was just a Genin. He had a round face with brown hair and blue eyes, and was no taller than Naruto was at that age.

He looked at Sasuke for a few more seconds, before he walked away.

He looked a lot like Naruto, but there was no way that the dope could have a kid. But there was something about him, which was similar to Naruto, but at the same time totally different.

Whatever it was, he quickly pushed out of his mind because he had arrived at the hospital. As he entered, he was hit with that familiar clean scent that he associated with all hospitals.

He took a quick look around; it was rather surprising that despite Konoha being in the middle of another war, the place was rather quiet. There were no nurses running around carrying stretchers with mutilated bodies or anything remotely similar to war injuries.

He made his way over to the receptionist, and handed her the documents that the Genin had given him.

"Shinobi?" She asked bored, not even bothering to look up at him.

"Yes."

"Hmmm looks like the Hokage cleared her schedule, so that she can see you. You're a pretty lucky guy aren't-" Her jaw dropped, when she finally looked up at him. "You're Sasuke Uchiha aren't you?"

"What room?" He asked deciding to ignore her question.

"721." Apparently she wasn't as stupid as she seemed, considering that she was able to interpret what it meant for him to dodge the question.

Konoha's hospital was the largest in the world, partly due to the fact that Tsunade was Hokage. Though, it had been very large, while he still lived in the village, it seemed to have grown exponentially, since he left.

On his way in, he had noticed the addition of two brand new wings and it seemed that even the old parts of the building had been refurbished to accommodate all the modern technology that was now available.

He was actually kind of impressed. Despite the war, it seemed that Konoha was dedicated to repaying the men and women, who gave their lives for the village.

As he made his way up, he was a bit surprised that Tsunade had cleared her own schedule, so that she could evaluate him.

It was also odd considering the fact that she could have just checked him, while he was in her office. Regardless, he continued on his way, until he arrived to room 721. Standing outside, was a nurse.

"Uchiha-san, please step inside. The doctor will be with you shortly, also it would help save time if you take your shirt off and sit on the examination table." She said to him.

He simply nodded to affirm that he understood, before walking inside. It was a standard examination room just like any other, except for the fact that this one was a bit bigger.

He took navy Uchiha shirt off, and neatly folded it before gently placing it on the examination table, with the clan's symbol facing up. He then sat down next to where he placed his shirt. The room was slightly cold, and he could feel goose bumps rising on the surface of his skin.

He had only been waiting a few minutes, when suddenly heard someone screaming outside. Although the door was closed, he could clearly hear what the woman was saying.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY SCHEDULE WAS CLEARED? WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF MY PATIENTS?"

The door opened, and he turned his face to see who was causing a riot outside. In walked, a woman wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope draped around her neck.

Though he hated to admit it, he had always found something about female doctors attractive, and he felt that this would be no exception judging by her extremely fit body. Of course, his eyes finally made their way all the way up and all he could do was blink. This woman had pink hair and green eyes. This woman was Sakura.

"Amelia, I don't care whether Lady Tsunade ordered me to take the day off after this. Get me my damn patient files or else I'll-" She suddenly broke off when she saw who it was that she was going to be examining.

Their eyes met for a second, onyx staring into green and green staring into onyx.

For just one brief moment, something came over him, and he could do nothing but stare into those green eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, you're back." She whispered more to herself than to him.

"Hn." He replied breaking off eye contact and instead turning to face the wall.

"Miss Sakura, his chart." The nurse next to Sakura said, handing her a manila folder.

Sakura blinked a few times before regaining composure.

"Right, thanks. Amelia, take the rest of the day off, since I won't be here either." Sakura replied in a perfectly normal voice.

"Arigato, Miss Sakura." Amelia answered before walking out the door as fast as her legs could take her.

Sakura then made her way over to the sink that was in the room and began washing her hands. It seemed that she was determined not to even look at him.

Finally, she turned the water off and dried her hands. She put on some gloves and quickly began to page through his medical record.

"Seems like you haven't had a checkup in 8 years. Afraid of the doctor?" She added lightly trying her best to break the ice.

"No."

"I see you've added to your vocabulary," She replied sarcastically. "Before, it was just hn."

She walked over to him, and used her stethoscope to check out his heartbeat. After a few moments, she pointed to him to lie down, and she began to run her hands over his upper body, pausing at certain places to check out how he was breathing and if there were any irregularities.

The silence between them was getting more and more awkward, until finally he decided to break it.

"The opposite." He whispered.

Sakura looked surprised that he spoke.

"Sorry?"

"The opposite." He repeated a bit louder this time.

If she was surprised before, now she just looked confused.

"I didn't know it was possible to forget words."

"No, I meant about doctors."

"What about them?"

"I like them."

She turned slightly pink at this, but recovered immediately.

"Good to hear." She replied rather unsure of what to say.

The rest of the checkup passed in silence except for when Sakura asked him some questions regarding his health history.

"Well, it looks like you're in good health. You've been keeping your body in excellent condition it seems. There are a few blood tests that you'll have to catch up on, but that's about it. You can come anytime within the next week for that. I'd let you do them today, but my best nurse is out."

"Hn."

She began jotting a few things down on a notepad and slipped it into his medical file, while he was putting on his shirt.

When he got up, she walked towards the door without another word, and only when her hand was on the doorknob did she pause. Without looking back, she asked.

"Why did you come back?" It was barely a whisper, but Sasuke heard it clearly along with the several different emotions behind the word. There was sadness, regret, and anger in her voice, but also traces of concern and even a little happiness.

"I have a goal that I must accomplish." He answered purposely trying to be vague, so that people wouldn't know what he was doing here.

"Of course there is." She whispered bitterly, before turning the knob and leaving him alone again.

He could tell she was hurt, genuinely hurt. It wasn't the same as when he used to reject her attempts at dates, where she would become disheartened, but try again the next day. For some reason, he could tell this wasn't the same as before, just as she wasn't the same Sakura as before.

He was surprised to see Shikamaru waiting outside the hospital, when he left. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. Sasuke simply walked past him, but then he heard his name called out.

"Sasuke, wait a second. Tsunade-sama told me that you don't have anywhere to spend the night. You can crash at my apartment tonight."

"Thanks, but it's fine. I'll stay at a hotel."

"Look, don't be a drag. I'm not exactly comfortable with it either. I'm not even sure you're on our side, but it doesn't really matter because this is a direct order from the Hokage."

It looked like the old hag already trapped him. Going against a 'direct order' would certainly be a bad idea, especially considering that this was his first day back.

"Fine." He replied, before following Shikamaru to his apartment.

As he walked there, he considered it could be a lot worse. At least he didn't have to spend the night at Naruto's house or even that dog lover whatever his name was.

When they entered, Shikamaru spoke first.

"Sorry, the place is a mess, but it's such a drag to clean you know," He said letting out a big yawn. "Feel free to take anything from the fridge, and I'm sorry but you'll have to crash on the couch. Oh one last thing, you're under Anbu surveillance right now, and will be the rest of the night. I'm technically not supposed to tell you, but I thought I'd let you in case you were planning on going out for a midnight walk and get attacked. It'd be a huge nag to clean that mess up. Good night." He said before going to his room.

He wasn't surprised about the Anbu revelation; he had expected it all along. He had to regain the village's full trust. It wasn't like it mattered that much; he had been able to sense all 7 Anbu members keeping an eye on him.

He wasn't really hungry, so he just changed his clothes before lying down on the sofa.

_I've started niisan. _He thought with a true smile before falling asleep.

_Wow that was long! What'd you guys think? I'll keep the chapters this long if you guys give nice long reviews! Any questions leave them in a review! And don't forget the tumblr thing. Oh if you review, I'll reply if you have a real account! And next chapter we'll get to see some stuff from Sakura's POV. Till then!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm happy I got more than just two this time! Anyways, here's the next chapter._

_Chapter 3_

_Sasuke's POV_

A beam of light hit him in the face, causing him to wake up. Albeit, reluctantly Sasuke opened his eyes, and lifted himself up off the couch.

He took care to be quiet in case Nara was still sleeping. He took a quick glance around the living room and saw that Shikamaru had left him a note.

_Got called out on a mission, won't be back for a week. You're free to use the apartment for as long as you need. Tsunade-sama wants to see you, when you wake up. Spare key is under the doormat._

He quickly showered, got prepared, and headed out towards the Hokage's Tower. It was still early morning, probably just a half hour after sunrise, considering there was still dew on the grass.

It was a brisk, but silent morning; he also noticed some storm clouds in the distance. Of course, not too many people would be up and about this early in the morning. He passed the occasional patrol shinobi, but no one really paid any particular attention to him.

He preferred it that way. It was tiring to be ogled at as if he was some sort of animal on display.

By the time he had made it to the Hokage's office, the sun had risen enough to officially make it morning, but at the same time those storm clouds had definitely gotten closer.

He knocked on the door, but for some reason there was no reply. He continued knocking until someone came rushing out from one of the side offices.

"Uchiha-san, good morning. Tsunade-sama wasn't expecting you to be here so early." A woman, who he presumed to be an aide, informed him.

"I see. Should I come back later?" He asked patiently.

"That would be better as she isn't here right now, or you could go to the hospital if you wish to speak with her immediately.

Sasuke simply nodded before turning and heading towards the hospital. The streets were a little bit more crowded now, but still nowhere near as busy as they would get later in the day.

When he arrived at the hospital, he went to the receptionist and told her that Tsunade had called for him. She informed him that Tsunade had just finished a surgery and would be available upstairs in the waiting room in a few minutes.

By the time he reached the waiting room he saw Tsunade carrying someone to another room, so he decided to follow.

He knocked on the door that Tsunade had just closed.

"Come in." He heard a tired and weak voice, before entering.

"You called?" He asked.

"Oh, it's you Sasuke," She said apparently too tired to remember to call him Uchiha. "Yes, I did. I wanted to inform you that I had some Genin patch up the Uchiha mansion last night, while you were asleep. It should be ready for you to use, but the rest of the compound will take some time. I just don't have enough shinobi to fix it all up right now."

"It's fine, I understand and thank you." He replied.

He looked around her to see whom she had placed on the bed. He saw a familiar pink mess resting on the pillow. He blinked. It was Sakura, but why was she passed out on a hospital bed?

Noticing his look, Tsunade answered his unasked question.

"We had 2 squads come in late last night. All 8 of them were in critical condition, and needed immediate surgery. I was impressed, she lasted until all the surgeries were done before passing out from chakra exhaustion. In fact, without her they wouldn't have survived."

"Were they ambushed?"

"Yes. I had 3 squads pick up some important medicinal supplies from a small village. On their way back, they were ambushed by some Grass ninja. Luckily, the 3rd squad was able to fight them off and bring the others back to the village. Unfortunately, I'm now without my two best medics, since Shizune is out on the frontlines."

"How's the war going?"

Tsunade gave him an incredulous look.

"You mean you don't know?" His silence was enough of an answer. "Well, it's going like most other wars, except that having Naruto on the front lines has been a real boost. I don't think there's anyone in the world right now apart from you who can beat him."

Sasuke made note of the compliment she paid him. It also made sense why it'd been so easy to convince her to take him back. She must have figured that having him fight alongside Naruto even temporarily would be enough to make the other villages surrender. Unsure of how to reply to her though, he merely nodded.

"Well, I must get going. Someone has to take over for Sakura today, so I guess I'll just do it. Sasuke, can you please take her home? Heaven knows she's here enough as it is. And will you please let her know that she has the rest of the day off to recover?"

"Aa."

"Thank you." She said giving him a genuine smile. It wasn't so much that she liked him as much as it was that he was helping her beloved student.

After Tsunade had walked out, he went to the bed and carefully lifted Sakura up, so that he did not wake her up.

It was only after he had exited the hospital that he realized he did not have the slightest idea where she lived, and to make things worse those storm clouds were almost overhead.

He thought of going back and asking Tsunade, but decided against it remembering that she'd be with Sakura's patients right now. In the end, he decided to just take her to the Uchiha mansion.

Once she woke up, he'd ask where she lived and take her there. It was also an excuse to check out his home.

He hadn't lived in the Uchiha mansion for years. After the massacre, he had decided to buy an apartment, which probably got wiped out when Pain attacked.

The Uchiha complex should be in tact though considering that it was in an isolated corner of the village. Of course, he wasn't expecting it to be in perfect condition, but it probably fared better than most of the village during the attack.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't really noticed the fact that he was almost at the Uchiha complex. The rain had begun to fall on him and after looking up at the rain clouds; he was hit by the sight of the gates to the complex.

He froze up momentarily. He understood that walking through those doors might open up some wounds that perhaps had not fully healed.

After a slight pause, he willed himself to walk through those gates. Immediately, he wished that he hadn't.

The complex was in utter disarray. There were still signs of the massacre everywhere, including some blood that seemed could not be washed away. Coupled with the years of neglect, it looked like a war-ravaged neighborhood.

Though, the reminders of the massacre disturbed him, nothing was as upsetting as seeing past the destruction and into his past life.

The smallest details brought back memories of happier times, but times that could never be brought back. And it was that, which was most painful.

He saw the grocery store, which was housed in the complex and remembered walking with his mother there and helping her carry things back. Every time they went, she would buy him a tomato to munch on.

He saw the police HQ, where he would occasionally bring his father lunch, and the sight of the Uchiha symbol on the building was simultaneously a sense of pride, but also pain.

The whole police force was the ultimate farce, used by the Nidaime Hokage as a political tool to distance the Uchiha from power and they had been naïve enough to believe in him.

But in reality, it was not as upsetting to him as was how much he missed his family and clansman.

Sakura began to stir, probably because of the rain and she opened her eyes.

"Sasuke? What are you- put me dow-" She started before he used his Sharingan to put her back to sleep.

He was very lucky that raindrops were falling on his head and face, because they masked the tears that were falling uncontrollably from his eyes.

He had put Sakura to sleep because he needed some time to himself right now, while also making sure she got the sleep that she desperately needed.

As the memories flooded back, he couldn't help himself from wondering what would have happened if Madara had beaten Hashirama all those years ago. Would he be here standing in the rain, as the lone survivor of the Uchiha clan?

Silently, he vowed that he would never lose to anyone ever again, if only for the sake of trying to spare future generations from the pain that he was experiencing. He would do anything to make sure he would be the last of his clan to bear this type of pain.

Despite, all sorts of wounds being re-opened as he walked through the complex, nothing in the world could have prepared him for when he reached the door of his childhood home.

The memories evoked from being home, literally ripped his heart out. If there were ever a moment, which he wished he was dead, it was now just so that he could stop feeling this pain.

It made him think back to all those years ago, at the Valley of the End during his fight with Naruto. Despite, Naruto knowing the pain of solitude he did not understand it the way Sasuke did. Naruto never had the bonds of family, while he did.

The reason it was so painful now was because he had those bonds, and then they were taken away from him. They were forcibly ripped from him in the most violent way imaginable by the person closest to him, and though he did not bear any ill will towards Itachi anymore, he still questioned his brother's decision to place Konoha over the clan.

Even more than that, there was a sense of betrayal that surrounded the massacre both that it was done from within the Uchiha clan, but also that the village turned on one of its founding clans.

Breaking from his reverie, he took Sakura to his old room. As he carried her up, he took note of the work that the Genin had done during the night.

The house was spotless, and not to mention everything was in the most perfect condition. It seemed that all the furniture had been refurbished.

When he reached his room, he was slightly surprised that all his personal effects from his old apartment had been placed accordingly back into this room. Even the old picture of Team 7 was resting on his nightstand.

He gently laid Sakura down on the bed after he pulled the blanket and sheets up. He then pulled them over her body, tucking her in.

In order to keep his mind from re-living old memories, he set to try and figure out what he needed to do to the house in the immediate future, but he quickly found that the Genin Tsunade had sent were very thorough. They had even bought cleaning supplies for him, although the one thing they had missed on was groceries.

He added grocery shopping to his mental to do list, but knew that it would have to wait because Sakura was currently sleeping in his bed. He couldn't imagine what it would be like for her to wake up in a stranger's house all alone.

Although, it was how he had been living since the last war all the up until now. Still, he didn't find it wise to just leave her alone like that.

Surprisingly, he found himself capable of going into every room of the house, even the one where his parents had been killed. The pain that he had felt was still there, but the worst of it was now over.

After his examination of the house, he returned to his room where Sakura was sleeping peacefully. Her face was the definition of serenity, all the stress and exhaustion that he had noticed, when he saw her yesterday was gone.

It was apparent to him that her body had desperately needed this, and as a result was responding very well to it.

The blanket rose and fell rhythmically as she breathed. It was a think blanket, and it seemed that she was clutching it very close to herself because he could clearly see her figure.

With mild interest, he noted that she had definitely grown into her body. There were defined curves and meekly he even acknowledged that her breasts had grown larger. Even her huge forehead had now seemed to shrink or at least it appeared to fit her better than it did before.

Her hair had grown back a bit, since he had left Konoha. Secretly he had to admit that she did look better with longer hair. And though no one would ever be able to make him admit it, he also found her pink hair to be attractive.

As she slept, he decided to get some training done. Not physical training, but academic training, which was more along the lines of reading jutsu scrolls, and he knew for a fact that his father had a vast collection in the house.

After picking a few of them up, he returned to his room and sat down on chair facing the bed. At some point after his fight with Itachi, he had analyzed the fight and realized that despite the fact that he knew fire style jutsus, he wasn't even close to Itachi's level.

A lot of that had to do with the fact that Itachi had spent a lot of time training with their father, but also because Sasuke had really only developed his lightning style after his defection.

That was why he had picked up a lot of fire scrolls just now, but he had also picked up one that was on the very top meaning it was the one that his father had been reading in his final days.

It was a scroll about space-time ninjutsu. Inevitably, he thought of the masked man of the Akatsuki. He had also heard stories from his father about the Yondaime Hokage and how he was a master of space-time ninjutsus and he was unimaginably fast because of them.

The thought of such a useful jutsu completely pushed the fire-style from his mind and he began to peruse the space-time scroll. As he read, he began to wonder why more shinobi didn't put an emphasis on learning this. He immediately began imagining countless combinations of his own jutsu working in conjunction with space-time ninjutsus.

He had made several trips back and forth to his father's scroll collection finding about 25 scrolls dedicated to space-time jutsus. Of course, they were all about the basics, but Sasuke had learned long ago that nothing could be accomplished without first perfecting the fundamentals.

He honestly had lost track of time, while he had been engrossed in the scrolls, because all of a sudden he noticed that Sakura was waking up. Regardless, he continued to read and only stopped when she addressed him.

"Sasuke? Where am I? What are you doing here? What time is it? Shit, am I late for work?" She panicked.

"Relax, you have the day off. It's 5:30, and this is my room." He answered coolly.

"Your room?"

"Yes, Tsunade asked me to take you home. You collapsed from chakra exhaustion after the surgeries."

"Oh my god! The surgeries! What happened?" She asked him and he could see that she was genuinely concerned about whomever she had been working to save the night before by the way she had suddenly tensed up.

"They're alive, and according to Tsunade it's because of you."

"Alive," She repeated. "Oh thank god." She said before relaxing her muscles.

He noticed how she completely ignored the second part of what he said. It was if her reward for her work was, just knowing that her patients were alive and that she took her satisfaction from that rather than from praise that she received.

"You need to take care of yourself better." He told her.

"What?" She asked him confused.

"You obviously haven't been getting enough sleep lately, and then you push yourself to your limits putting your body under even more strain. It's not healthy."

"I can take care of myself, thanks." She replied rather coldly.

He was rather taken aback at her sudden coldness, but then his mind jumped to yesterday at the hospital. At the end of the checkup, she had seemed hurt in some way. He was unsure of what to do then, and it seemed that a day wasn't enough time to figure things out.

"I'm going to get some groceries." He said refusing to respond to what she had just said.

"Groceries?" She began to look around and it seemed that understanding finally dawned on her. "Sasuke, are we in your parents' house?"

"Hn."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Tsunade asked me to take you home, and I didn't know where you lived."

"Oh, I live right by the grocery store. Why don't I come with you and show you where I live."

He nodded. He justified going to see her house with the excuse that it would be useful to know where she was in case he was hurt, but in reality one of the things he had realized when he was coming back to Konoha was that he could not avoid re-forming bonds.

Itachi had given him a chance to live as normal a life as he could under the circumstances, so in order to honor his brother's wishes he would not completely isolate himself.

It was still raining outside, harder than before. And so they broke out into a run.

"Damn it, I didn't know it was going to rain today." Sakura said evidently irritated.

"It's not that bad." He replied.

"Are you serious?"

"You've never been to Amekagure."

"No, I haven't. Does it really rain every day there?"

"Almost." He replied.

"Wow, how depressing. I could never imagine living in place where it rained all the time."

"You don't like rain?"

"I don't mind it too much, but I feel like it's always the sky's way of crying. Do you like it?" She asked him.

"It's alright. I love lightning storms." He replied after thinking for a second.

"Oh my god, I hate thunder!" She stated emphatically.

"Why?"

"It's so loud! And it's scary!"

"Are you a child?" He asked with an amused look.

"No! Anyone can be scared of thunder, it's not an age thing!" She answered turning slightly red.

He just smirked and shook his head as if to say she was weird.

For a few minutes, they just moved in silence with the rain being the only noise, until Sakura chose to break the silence again.

"You talk a lot more than you used to," She said looking at him. "I mean it's not a bad thing or anything!" She said waving her hands wildly when he gave her a questioning look. "Actually, I prefer it. You seem more human somehow."

"What makes you think I talk more?"

"Well, I mean before you would never make any attempt to keep a casual conversation going. It would always be Naruto or I doing the bulk of the talking, while you would sit around quietly."

"People change as they live." Was the only response he could muster.

"What in life changed you?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Sasuke could tell she regretted her word choice. "I mean-"

"Don't worry, I know what you meant. I think it was finding out the truth about Itachi, and then in my fight with Naruto I realized what an opportunity my brother had given me. An opportunity that he never had."

She listened to him and absorbed his every word. She did not say anything about it, but it seemed like it was something that she was going to bring up later.

"My apartment is right up there," She said pointing to an apartment complex across from the grocery store they were walking towards. "House # 117."

It was a mid-level apartment complex for Konoha standards, but in a very good location. It was in the middle of the village, giving her relatively easy access to most of the village. He also noticed that it was only a block or two away from the hospital.

Sasuke quickly stocked up on groceries, especially tomatoes. For some reason, Sakura was also doing a small amount of shopping, but all the things she purchased were expensive ingredients more fit for a special dinner.

When he asked her why she was buying stuff, she gave him a vague response. After they had finished shopping, she asked him to come over to her apartment for a bit. He politely declined saying he had to get back.

"Wait, why don't I help you bring all that back?" She offered.

"It's ok."

"Don't be stupid, it's hard enough to keep a grip on anything in this rain, let alone all those bags. Let me just help you."

He finally relented, seeing that she did have a point. The walk back to the Uchiha complex was filled mostly with Sakura's talking about various aspects of work.

He found that he didn't mind her talking as much as he used to when he was younger. Perhaps, it was because it wasn't all related to how amazing she thought he was. It was more about her, and for some reason it was a refreshing change.

Once they reached the Uchiha complex, she suddenly became quiet. On their way out, they had been running, so she probably hadn't taken in much of the destruction.

Despite her silence, her presence made this walk much easier than the last one. It was then that it him; the pain from all the memories was the pain of loneliness.

The memories reminded him of what ultimately the massacre had meant for him. That night had left him all alone, and it was that, which he was reminded of when he first came back to the complex.

Sakura meant nothing to him, but the fact that he was not alone meant so much that he placed a huge value on her being there with him. She had no idea, but she was doing an incredible favor for him just by walking with him.

Once they had reached his house, he began to sort away the groceries with Sakura's help. They were almost finished when Sakura said:

"Sasuke, let me cook for you tonight."

"What?" He asked, slightly irritated that she finally showed her colors and was still the fangirl he left on the bench all those years ago.

It seemed that she understood what he was thinking and she quickly clarified herself.

"I don't mean it like that," She answered blushing. "I just wanted to do something nice for you, after all you brought me here after I passed out. I just wanted to return the favor."

"It's all right, it wasn't a big deal or anything. You don't have to do anything for me."

"It's not just for you. It's something that I want to do," She replied. "Besides, think of it as a welcome home present!" She said with a smile. "From a friend." She added.

He sighed, there was no easy way to get out of this, so he relented. Though he was slightly apprehensive about eating her cooking.

"All right."

"Perfect! Now, let me get started." She said positively beaming.

"Do you need any help?" He asked not wanting her to do everything on her own.

"No, I'm fine. Why don't you read those scrolls you were reading earlier?"

"Hn."

He went to his room and started reading the scrolls again, except this time he read the ones about fire jutsus.

About an hour later, Sakura called him.

"Sasuke, dinner's ready."

"Coming."

As he walked back to the kitchen he was worried that the fangirl had finally surfaced and had set up everything with candles trying to make it a date, but when he entered he was surprised to find that it was the exact opposite.

It was almost as if he had come down for dinner with his family. Everything was neatly placed on the table, with a delicious aroma coming from the food. Sakura was finishing pouring some water into a jug before setting it down on the table.

"Oh you're here, I was just about to call you down again," She said taking off an apron. "Sorry, I found an apron and used it."

"It's fine," He answered, noticing that it had once belonged to his mother. "Should we get started?"

"Yeah of course! It's for you, after all." She said with a laugh.

They both sat down, and filled up their plates. She had prepared some sort of fish, which smelled very spicy along with some rice.

He took a bite, and had to admit that it was incredible. He noticed that Sakura hadn't touched her food yet and was staring at him intently. Once he finished his bite, he decided to ask:

"What is this? It tastes delicious."

Sakura's face immediately lit up, and she gave him a huge smile.

"I'm glad you like it! It's my special fish recipe."

The rest of dinner passed with Sakura asking him about his adventures after he defeated Madara. For the time, he just said that he wanted to visit more of the world, rather than to let her know why he hadn't returned to Konoha.

Surprisingly, she didn't ask much about anything related to his time with Orochimaru or his brief stint with the Akatsuki.

Her questions also didn't really have much to do with him, but with what the places he traveled to were like or what kind of people he had met. None of it really had to do with him, and he was happy that for once he wasn't asked to talk or hear about himself.

In exchange for his stories, Sakura told him all about the other shinobi of their age. Some things surprised him, while others didn't. He was able to see how the Hyuuga boy was a Jonin, but other things like how that dog lover became a Chuunin caught him off guard.

Finally, they reached the topic of Naruto.

"Of course, rank is slightly misleading. I mean look at Naruto. He's stronger than any of us, but he's still only a Genin."

Sasuke smirked. It was slightly fitting that the dobe was still dead last, and then Sakura wiped the smirk right off his face.

"Come to think of it, technically aren't you still a Genin too? Who would've thought that I'd be the first member of Team 7 to become a Chuunin?" She said with a laugh.

Sasuke made a mental note to talk to Tsunade about a promotion the next time he saw her.

"Where is Naruto?" He asked.

"Miss him?" Sakura asked him with a sly smile.

"No, just curious as to why I haven't kicked his ass for a while."

Sakura started laughing.

"He's out at the front lines, we didn't really have a counter for Killer Bee other than Naruto, so Tsunade had to send him. We aren't really sure when he'll be back. I just feel bad for Hinata."

"Hinata?" He asked confused.

"Oh, they're together now. Naruto finally realized that she liked him, and so he gave her a chance and they hit it off well on the first date. They've been dating for a year or two now."

"Aa."

"Anyways, I have to get going. I know Tsunade-shisou said that she'd take care of everyone, but I do want to go check up on Kakashi-sensei."

"Kakashi? What happened to him?"

"He was a part of the group that was brought in last night. Luckily he wasn't too badly off, he was actually one of the ones who could walk in on his own yesterday."

"What happened to them?"

"I'm not sure apart from the fact that they were obviously ambushed. But I was too busy trying to keep everyone alive than to ask questions like that."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no. I'm just going to pay him a quick visit before heading to bed. But you do need to come in to the hospital tomorrow to get your shots. Here take this," She said handing him a hastily scribbled note. "Just hand this to the receptionist. She'll send you right up. Just come around 5:00 tomorrow. See you then!" She said as she walked out the door.

He leaned against the doorframe as he watched her walk alone through the rain. He had enjoyed her company tonight, but he reminded himself that there was a reason he was back, and tomorrow was the perfect time to start.

_What'd you guys think? It was a rather long chapter by my standards. I put in quite a bit of work on it, so leave a review please! The more reviews the longer I'll be making the chapters and also the harder I'll work on them! Also, if anyone has a tumblr tell me in a review and I'll follow you! Till next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for everyone who has been reviewing!_ _A quick shoutout to __Amaterasuice, happy birthday!_

Chapter 4

_Sasuke's POV_

After Sakura left, he couldn't help but feel lonely in the mansion. With nothing to keep him occupied, he found himself engrossed by the massive scroll collection his father used to keep.

He soon learned that he was by all means a novice in terms of using fire style. These scrolls were written by true masters, but even still he found some things crossed out and replaced by the writing of others.

A few times, he was able to recognize the writing as his father's, but most of the time it was someone else's, presumably his grandfather, who had died before his birth.

What caught his eye the most though was the amount of scribbling left by Itachi. He ventured to guess that his elder brother wrote about 85% of the notes on the scrolls, sometimes even crossing out what their father had written.

There was no question that Itachi was a genius, but what most people did not know about him was the amount of time he spent on developing his skills and enhancing his knowledge.

Having some of his work in front of him was inspiring, and Sasuke would have gone and practiced some of the stuff right now if it weren't so late.

With a pang, he remembered that once before the massacre Itachi had told him of a book he had started filled with all original jutsus. He had promised that one day he would give the book to Sasuke to read, but only if he found it.

With a grin, he remembered looking for the book as a child, while Itachi was on a mission, never actually succeeding and always seeing Itachi smile, when he told him he couldn't find it.

It actually became a routine that when Itachi arrived from one of his missions that he would ask his younger brother whether he had found the book.

"Where the hell did you hide that damn book, niisan?" Sasuke whispered to himself with irritation, although he was smiling as he said that.

Deciding he had nothing better to do, he got up and started looking around the house for the book. He activated his Sharingan, figuring it could only help.

There was no chance in hell that Itachi left it in his own room because that was too obvious, and also because he had personally raided that room for the book hundreds of times, he remembered embarrassedly.

As he got up to leave the room, he noticed that the wall across from the scroll shelf was glowing. As he approached the wall, he saw letters and symbols glowing red as if they were written using blood.

The words made no sense to him at all, but there was one thing he recognized, the symbol of the Uchiha clan. Hesitantly, he pressed his hand against the symbol hoping that something would happen.

Just as he expected he was able to push it forward, and suddenly in front of him the wall split revealing a staircase.

His heart racing, Sasuke walked down the steps, using his Sharingan to record every detail imaginable. Finally, he reached the bottom and found himself standing in a circular room.

The sidewalls were filled with thousands of scrolls and books, while staring at him from the front was a statue holding a magnificent sword in one hand and a scroll in the other.

Naturally, he moved towards the statue, but just as he was about to touch it, some sort of barrier stopped his hand, and then the statue moved to look him in his eyes.

Sasuke was unnerved that the eyes of the statue were red. There was no mistaking it the eyes were Sharingan.

The second he looked into those eyes, he was trapped in a genjutsu. He found himself in some sort of throne room, with a man in sitting in front of him in a throne.

"Son of Uchiha, you have returned." The man said, his legs crossed and his head resting on his hand, which was propped on the armrest of the seat.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked with his guard up.

"Do you not remember me?" The man asked. "No, you are not the same as who came before."

"Before? Are you talking about Itachi?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"He called himself, Uchiha Hiro." The man calmly replied.

"Uchiha Hiro?" Sasuke repeated, taking a second before the name registered with him.

"You resemble him."

"He was my grandfather."

Uchiha Hiro was the father of his mother, and the former head of the clan. He died before Sasuke was born. By all accounts he was one of the strongest Uchiha in the history of the clan, and Sasuke remembered on more than one occasion comparisons between Itachi and his grandfather being mentioned.

"Where is he? I have not seen him in a very long time." The mysterious man replied.

"Dead." Sasuke stated emotionlessly.

"What a shame, he was one of the few I was actually proud of." The man said after a slight pause.

"Proud of? How did you know my grandfather?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"I trained him. He showed the most potential, at least since the two brothers Izuna and Madara they were called."

"Izuna and Madara? Just who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked immediately switching to the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Finally, you show me your eyes," The man said still not having moved at all. "I see two chakras in your eyes, good. You've already surpassed your grandfather in one way. Tell me how did it feel to kill your brother?"

"Shut up about my brother, or… I'll kill you." Sasuke replied coldly.

"Kill me? If it were that easy, then one of the others would surely have already done so," He replied coolly. "But you are burning with questions, I will allow you to ask."

"Who are you?"

"I am Uchiha, the son of the Sage himself."

"Uchiha?"

"Yes, together with my younger brother Senju, we were the children of the Sage."

"I don't believe you."

Suddenly, the man rose and lowered the hood that had been covering his face.

The man had long black hair falling down the side of his face like Itachi's hair, but his facial features definitely resembled Sasuke more than Itachi.

Sasuke stared at him in wonder, and the man stared back with his eyes red as a result of having the Sharingan.

Just who was this man?

_Sorry __Amaterasuice, I actually finished the chapter on your birthday, but was too tired to post it! As for everyone else, reviews are very much appreciated as always! Also, updates will be much more regular now that school is finally over. I'm thinking about doing some Sakura POV next chapter, but I haven't made up my mind let me know in a review why or why not! Thanks all and until next time take care!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Sasuke's POV_

Sasuke Uchiha did not know fear, he reminded himself. No, fear was simply a weak emotion that he had let go years ago.

So why the hell was he shaking?

The mysterious man suddenly stepped forward towards him and subconsciously Sasuke's defenses activated. But instead of taking some sort of defensive stance, he noticed that there was a veil of black flames surrounding him. Not close enough to burn him, but still close enough to prevent the stranger from touching him.

"Only black?" The man suddenly questioned him.

Sasuke did not respond, merely choosing to focus his gaze on the threat.

"If the flames are still only black then perhaps you aren't as good as I thought." He continued.

"What are you saying?" Sasuke said finally speaking up again.

"You are able to use Amaterasu, but you haven't mastered it. It is still incomplete."

"Incomplete? How would you know?" Sasuke pressed.

"I was the first to use it," He stated simply. "In that respect I surpassed even my father."

"Your father?"

"The one you call the Sage of the Six Paths, the one with those damn eyes."

"You mean these?" Sasuke asked with a smirk, activating his Rinnegan.

Sasuke expected the man to be impressed, perhaps even a bit scared. Instead the man laughed.

"You think I'm scared of my father's eyes? Why would I be scared of something that is mine?" He asked, his tone suddenly growing darker.

To Sasuke's surprise the man's eyes suddenly turned to the Rinnegan.

"You have them?" Sasuke asked, his eyes widening.

Now it was time for the man to smirk.

"Yes. And in my time here, I have taken my eyes further than even my father could."

"Further? Than the Rinnegan?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, I have transcended it. I can see what no one else can."

"How?"

If there was anything that could bring peace to the world, it would be the eyes that surpassed the Sage's.

"Your eyes will guide you."

"My eyes?"

"Once you begin to see something in nothingness."

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Sasuke asked angrily.

"You must have already experienced it, if you have found me. Once you understand, come seek me again." The man said turning and walking away from him.

"Wait! Come back here!" Sasuke shouted, shooting a Chidori beam at the man.

As it hit him, the man vanished. Until suddenly he appeared again right in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes widened, as he was caught completely off-guard.

"Sleep." The man said before he stabbed Sasuke through the heart with a sword that came from nowhere.

He felt a jolt through his body, which shot him up off the floor.

Breathing heavily, he noticed there were streams of sweat dripping along his face and body.

As he made his way towards the bathroom to wipe his face, his foot happened to touch something. Looking down, he noticed it was a scroll, but it was not one he recognized.

It had some sort of seal preventing him from opening it. But upon closer examination, it clearly read Uchiha.

He quickly activated his Sharingan, and the word _blood_ became clear to him. He casually bit his thumb, and wiped the blood on the seal, which immediately disappeared allowing him to open the scroll. It read:

_Here is a gift. Think of it as a reward for finding me. When the moon is at its fullest, use your Amaterasu on it. Then, you will understand when I said your flames were black. And remember, return to me once you see something in nothingness._

_-Uchiha_

Forgoing the bathroom entirely, Sasuke walked outside only to see to that the sun had already begun rising. Suddenly, his eyes felt like they were on fire causing him to collapse to the floor in pain.

Once the pain had subsided, he got up again. His body felt drained, and his body began sweating again. He felt so cold.

Not knowing of what else to do, he allowed his feet to carry him towards the hospital, and as soon as he entered he walked to the receptionist and said three words:

"Give me Sakura." There was something in his voice as he said it, so that even the receptionist did not even bother arguing. She simply stood up and led him towards an office.

Each passing step became heavier and heavier, until he felt like he was going to collapse. The receptionist noticed and tried to help, but he brushed her off. He was not going to accept help from a stranger, even if it meant that he had to lean against the doorframe to stand.

He slowly knocked three times, as if he had to gather the energy to perform such a basic task.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened revealing Sakura wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck.

"Sasuke-kun, I meant 5:00 in the evening not morning," She said with a laugh, which immediately stopped when she saw his face." Sasuke, are you ok?" She asked concerned.

He tried to open his mouth to answer, but instead collapsed into Sakura's arms.

Light hit his eyes, causing him to stir. He tried sitting up, when he heard a voice.

"Sasuke, don't move." A stern voice commanded.

"Sakura?" He asked remembering that she was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.

"Yes," She responded much gentler this time. "Save your energy and try not to move unless it's necessary."

So naturally, he pulled off his covers and swung his feet and placed them on the floor before standing up.

"Sasuke, I'm serious." She said. He noticed her voice had regained the stern tone, and there was also a tinge of annoyance mixed in as well.

"About what?"

"Not moving," She replied exasperatedly. "Sit back down," She ordered. "Sasuke-kun, please." She almost pleaded.

He took note of the kun she added to his name again, and relented sitting back down.

"Hn."

"Thank you!" She responded to him sitting down again. "Sasuke-kun, what happened to you? You looked like you saw a ghost."

"Nightmares."

"Nightmares? Sasuke, no nightmare should be able to make you have a fever."

"That's why I came here." He replied.

"Well, you did the right thing by coming to the hospital. We were able to take care of your-"

"Not the hospital, Sakura," He interrupted. When she gave him a questioning look, he continued. "I came to you."

_Sakura's POV_

As she heard him say that, her heart melted. Every barrier she had built came crashing down. Even the façade of trying to just be friends shattered. No, she was in love with him. And the fact that it took just four words from him was a sign. She had never stopped loving him.

But none of that mattered. Because she knew better than to think his words meant something special.

"Me?" She asked putting on her best poker face, trying to act surprised.

"Who else would I come to?" He asked.

Of course, he came to her. Who else did he have? Naruto was on the front lines; Kakashi was a few floors above them, which left her. He had no one else to turn to. To everyone else, he was still a war criminal and traitor, regardless of the fact that he had been reinstated.

"Did you see your parents?" She whispered, trying to understand what could have put him in such a condition.

"No, worse."

"Itachi?" She asked tentatively.

Naruto and Kakashi had explained to her the hell that Itachi Uchiha had been through for the sake of the village.

The fact that Sasuke had to kill his beloved brother, without knowing the truth was tragic. The fact that he found out the truth, and felt responsible for his death was something that no one should have been forced to go through. Since then she had assumed that Itachi was the person truly closest to Sasuke.

"I wish." He responded, lowering his gaze.

Sakura bit her lip. At this moment, Sasuke seemed so broken, so vulnerable. Just the mention of his brother reduced him to such a state, and she had no idea what she could do. She felt so helpless, even though she knew that it was no fault of her own.

"Sasuke-kun, maybe you should go to sleep for a little while." She suggested, hoping that rest would drive the sadness away for a bit, while giving his body the rest it so desperately needed.

"I can't." He answered slowly.

"Why not?" She asked gently.

"What if I see them?"

"See who?"

"My parents. And… Itachi?" He asked finally meeting her eyes.

What she saw almost her. There were tears going down his face.

"Then… then, I'll be here." She answered holding back tears of her own, before walking over to him and simply holding him.

_Well, I hope you all enjoyed that! If you guys are confused a bit by Sasuke's actions at the end of the chapter, don't worry! It will be explained in the next chapter! Also, just curious what do you think will happen when he looks at the moon? Please review you guys! I really need feedback! Am I going too fast or too slow? Do the interactions seem IC or OOC? Comments, questions, concerns? Anything just please don't put the usual "Great chapter, update soon!" I really worked so hard on this chapter, so I'd like just a bit more than that you know? I'm not promising a quick update, unless I get some quality reviews! Thanks everyone!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Sasuke's POV_

A few days had passed, since "the incident" as he referred to it. He had fully settled into living back in the village.

Most of his time was spent either training or studying old scrolls. He hadn't yet had a chance to test out the scroll that Uchiha had given him. Unfortunately the day before he had reached the village was a full moon, so it would be sometime before he could actually do anything.

In the mean time, he had decided that it would also be better if he postponed his other work on trying to find old Uchiha and Senju artifacts and writings. Uchiha was the ultimate resource, and with his help there was no need to waste time searching for other things, at least not yet.

The only worry on his mind right now was whether he should train in the morning and study in the evening or vice-versa.

Unfortunately, it would be neither as he could feel the presence of someone approaching his front door.

Sure enough, 3 curt knocks on his door signaled that he indeed had company. Slowly, he made his way down to the front door. When he finally opened it, he was slightly surprised to see Kakashi standing at the door.

"Kakashi." He said with grudging respect. After all, the last time they had met he had tried killing his former teacher.

"Sasuke. I heard you were back. May I come in?" Kakashi responded.

Merely nodding, Sasuke took a step back and opened the door wider. Kakashi stepped in taking in the whole house with his one uncovered eye.

"They really fixed this place up well." Kakashi stated, choosing to stay with the small talk.

"The rest of the complex is a mess." Sasuke replied.

"I'm sure Tsunade-sama will order a restoration in time." He answered not even looking at Sasuke.

"Sakura told me you were hurt."

"Just a few scratches." His former sensei replied disinterestedly.

"I was going to come and-" Sasuke started guiltily.

"It's all right, Sakura told me she wasn't letting you near me," He cut off, finally looking at Sasuke again. "Although, I'll admit it would have been nice seeing you." He finished kindly.

"Why?"

"It's always nice having visitors, I'm not a huge fan of hospitals."

"Not that, why? Why are you being so normal? The last time I saw you, I tried killing you."

The small wrinkle in his mask showed that Kakashi was smiling. But it was apparent that it was a sad one when he spoke.

"I'm guilty of the same thing. So if you want to just leave it at that, we can both move on."

Sasuke nodded, not wanting to dwell on the horrible mistakes he had made.

"Now, there's a reason I'm here," Kakashi said reverting back to his normal even-keeled demeanor. "There's a war going on. And the village needs every shinobi it can get. That's part of the reason, why Tsunade was so lenient regarding your return."

"You want me to fight?"

"Not quite. Tsunade has a mission for you. Even I don't know the details, but she's expecting you at the tower."

"Hn."

"There's my old student." Kakashi said, and though Sasuke couldn't see past the mask he was sure his old teacher was smirking.

"Yeah, whatever old man." He said walking away.

On his way to Hokage Tower, he was mentally running the possibilities of what kind of mission Tsunade had in store for him. It would be interesting to see how much she trusted him with, and who she would send to keep an eye on him.

When he finally reached her office, the door was open, so he walked straight in.

"Uchiha. There you are." Tsunade said. Evidently she was in a bad mood.

"Hn."

"I hope you've enjoyed your honeymoon time because I'm putting you back to work."

"Hn."

"We've had unconfirmed reports of Mokuton users in the small countries between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind."

"Mokuton?"

"Yes, the special wood release technique that only my grandfather could use. Technically, it isn't a genetic kekkei genkai, but I can't imagine anyone else being able to use it naturally."

"But the possibility remains?" Sasuke quickly asked, having already made the connection.

"Exactly, which is why I'm sending you. Over the years, the Senju clan has disbanded and so it is possible that these individuals are actually members of the Senju clan. If that's the case, it's in Konoha's best interest to ally themselves with them during the war."

"And after?"

"It would be up to them whether they wished to remain. Of course, this could a genetic mutation, which allows anyone to use Mokuton. It may even be false information, and not be the Mokuton at all." She said handing him the mission file.

He reached out and grabbed the file, and opened it on the spot and began reading through it.

"Genin don't get S-ranked missions." He said expectantly remembering his conversation with Sakura.

"Of all times, you pick right now?" Tsunade asked pinching the bridge of her nose.

When he didn't move, she sighed and relented.

"Just adding to my paperwork," She said scribbling a note and then stamping it with a seal. "Here take this to the armory and talk to Iwashi. And from this day forth you're a Jonin of the village and all that shit." She said waving her hand to get him to leave.

"Hn."

As he was walking out of the door, she stopped him. Turning back he looked towards her.

"Sasuke, wait. This is a solo mission. I figured if it does end up being the Senju, then maybe you can get some help from them regarding your other mission."

"You think they'll help an Uchiha?"

"Regardless of our clans' past history, recent history has shown that the Uchiha and Senju can coexist. The village has prospered, since it was founded. I understand that there were some issues how the village was run, but if the clans were treated as equals they would have been better off."

Understanding her wisdom, both regarding their clans and about why she made it a solo mission, he gave a grateful nod before taking off towards the armory.

On his way to the armory, he read Tsunade's scribbled note.

_Give him a Jonin vest, and anything else he asks for. _

_Tsunade_

_P.S.- Give him access to the R&D wing._

He smirked when he read the last part. Apparently, Konoha was developing new weaponry, and he was being trusted with it.

When he arrived to the armory, he simply walked through the giant double doors, not even waiting for the guards to clear him.

Once inside he took a quick glance at the receptionist and walked over.

"I need Iwashi." He said, not wasting time with pleasantries.

"I'm sorry, but do you have an appointment?"

"The Hokage sent me."

"Very well. I'll have Iwashi come down."

Sasuke stood waiting a few minutes, until finally Iwashi came down.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I presume?"

"Hn."

"Tsunade-sama sent word ahead." Iwashi explained.

"Ah." He responded handing him the note regardless.

"Oh, well aren't you lucky. No one not even Anbu have clearance for this," He said reading Tsunade's note. "Anyways, let's get you fitted. Here's the standard Jonin vest, and here's a new headband. I understand your other one is a bit, battle damaged." He finished choosing his words carefully.

He gave Sasuke a tour of the standard armory, with absolutely nothing remotely interesting to Sasuke.

"And here's the R&D wing," Iwashi said after what seemed an eternity. "Even I don't get to come in here much. Only when Tsunade comes for progress reports am I allowed in here. Let me get our head engineer Seto for us." He said waving down one of the few people inside the wing.

"Iwashi-san. You brought a friend?" Seto said looking at Sasuke.

"Yes, this is Sasuke Uchiha. Tsunade wishes for him to outfit himself from here."

"Very well. What are you interested in seeing Uchiha-san?"

"Everything." Sasuke responded intrigued with what lay in store.

"Let's check out weaponry first." He said casually.

Sasuke couldn't agree more.

Five minutes into the tour, Sasuke quickly realized why none of the weapons were ever released. Most were prototypes, but the reason they weren't developed further were because they were too clunky and unusable in real battles. Or the concept behind the weapon was too ambitious to properly create.

One example of this was a chakra blade. Nothing but a hilt was created, and the theory was that a shinobi could flow their chakra into and create an unbreakable blade.

In theory, it sounded great, but the toll it would take on a shinobi's chakra to constantly use it would spill certain doom.

The only thing that really caught his eye was a special type of kunai, supposedly developed by the Yondaime. It had a unique shape and the distribution of weight was different than a normal kunai.

The only downside was that it would take some time and practice to get used to them, so he wasn't able to take some with him. Instead, he requested Seto to deliver some to his house.

Next they moved to armor. In all honesty, all Sasuke was hoping for here was that they had something he could wear instead of the Jonin vest. There was just something about the vest that didn't appeal to him. It wasn't a fashion thing as much a function thing. The vest just seemed stuffy.

As the tour was reaching its end, it appeared he would be disappointed and would have to settle for wearing the damn vest, but then Seto pulled them into a side room.

"Here is our most advanced armor piece," Seto said pointing to sleeveless white overcoat over a navy blue high-collar sleeveless shirt. There was a separate steel-grey metallic pauldron that acted as a shoulder guard bearing two horizontal navy blue stripes. There was also a separate long black sleeve that could cover an arm and a navy blue cape behind the left shoulder blade. "It may look like nothing special, but the fabric is the toughest in the world. In fact our field tests, it was evident that it was the most durable clothing in the history of shinobi. It also doesn't compromise any flexibility in motion because of how the mesh was sewn together."

"Does it come in black?" Sasuke asked eagerly.

"It does."

"I'll take it. Just add the Uchiha Clan symbol on the back and have it delivered to my house within the hour." Sasuke said turning around and walking out of the room.

"Of course, Uchiha-san. We will start right away."

Once he had arrived home, he quickly made stock of his own inventory. Most of his ninja tools were actually better quality than the ones he had seen at the armory. It was just one perk of being an Uchiha.

He quickly took started gathering complementary equipment to the new look he was going to have. He decided that shorts would be preferable to pants, considering where he was going and the speed with which he had to move.

He also grabbed a navy blue pack that he could strap to his leg along with his old ninja pack for the back of his waist.

A knock on his door signaled the arrival of his delivery, and he hurried down to receive it.

Once, he had put it on he immediately realized what Seto had meant about maintaining flexibility of movement. He could move and twist in any direction without any trouble at all. What Seto hadn't mentioned was how light it was. It was easily the lightest thing he had ever worn, and that was even while he had all his ninja gear and sword.

He had placed his sword in its old familiar place, at the back of his waist angled slightly so that he could reach for it easily. The one thing he didn't put on was his Konoha headband.

There were several reasons for this. The first was that he wasn't fully comfortable wearing it after all the history between himself, his family, and the village. The second was that these potential Senju had left Konoha for a reason. It could be because of soured relations with the village. Wearing a Konoha headband from the outset could be disastrous to the diplomatic aspect of the mission. And finally, not many people knew he had returned to Konoha. This put him and the village at an advantage. If he could keep it that way, there was an excellent chance that he could catch the enemy off guard, as well as run into fewer problems while traveling.

On his way out of the village, he happened to pass a small café. It just so happened that sitting at one of the outside tables was none other than Sakura. She was sitting at a table for four, but currently alone.

Her elbow was standing up against the table, and her face was resting in her hand. She appeared to be bored waiting for someone. He figured he might as well say goodbye before he left.

"Sakura."

She jumped at the sound of her name, and wheeled around.

"Oh Sasuke-kun, it's you."

"What are you doing here?"

"Just waiting for some friends. What are you wearing? And where can I get them?" She asked evidently jealous of his new appearance.

"Classified."

"What the fuck do you mean classified? You've been in the village for what? A few days? And you get access to classified armor?" She demanded indignantly.

"It's because I'm going on a special mission."

"Oh, what's it for?" Sakura asked quickly mellowing out.

"I can't say. But I just wanted to say goodbye before I left."

"Oh. Well good luck, and I guess I'll see you in a few days." She responded casually.

Sasuke merely nodded, absolutely confused at how disinterested she was. It was almost disappointing that one of the only two friends he had in the village didn't even care that he was leaving again.

Although, as he walked away he caught Sakura whisper:

"Stay safe Sasuke."

_Hey how'd you guys like the chapter? Just a note, his new appearance is closely based on Lightning's clothes from Final Fantasy XIII, except well I Sasuke'd them quite a bit just so things would fit lol. I added just a bit of SasuSak to keep you shippers happy in an otherwise Sasuke-centric chapter. The next few chapters will definitely have some more Sakura, although we may not see as much SasuSak. But anyways, please leave a quality review not just the "Good chapter, update soon!" I'm really looking for some feedback! Thanks and until next time!_


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